Vivi danced around another attacker. They were sloppy, doing little more than charge at her swinging their weapons. She didn't really expect much more from them, they were just billions after all, or were they millions? Vivi cut down another agent.
They had crossed the desert. Encountered and overcome all of the challenges that came with such a journey. Everything from birds to giant lizards and scorpions, Mighty sandstorms and dehydration. Bounty hunters and even a pillow fight. But in the end thy had made it to yuba and from their had tracked crocodile down to Rain Base.
Vivi cut down another agent, while dancing around his wildly swinging blade. Her razor sharp jewelry was spinning around her pinky. She felt bad for injuring them like this but they really were despicable men and even more than that she could not allow herself to be caught here. Not while she had so much at stake. Not just her country and her life but the lives of all those that had helped her to this point.
The lives of her nakama.
Vivi remembered her fight with Luffy. It had been the first time since her fist fight with Coza that she thrown punches like that. She imagined that she could feel the ache in her jaw from where Luffy had hit her back, it was strangely comforting. It was then that he had made her understand what she was really putting at risk and what she really had in the way of help. Her Nakama would help her and die for her.
A painful blow fell on her head sending her to the ground. She looked up to see one of the agents standing over her with a gun. She couldn't do much about him from her position on the ground. And definitely not a lot with all the guns that were now pointed at her.
"Wow. You sure were tough weren't you." The one that had hit her said smirking. "But what else would you expect from a former officer agent? Now come along quietly." He said as her reached forward to grab her.
"DON'T TOUCH ME." Vivi said, her anger and frustration clearly showing through in her voice.
The agent's just laughed thinking they had caught her. Vivi tensed her legs in preparation to jump back into the fight.
She needn't have.
A clump of sand the size of her head struck the man in the head, it didn't break apart though, he might as well have been hit in the had by a rock. "Sand Hail." A mono-toned voice said from above.
Vivi new this voice and relief flooded her even as more sand fell from the sky. A good quantity of sand collected below her and lifted her out of the crowd of confused agents.
"Sand? What the Hell!?" One of the agents yelled as the hail stopped. It hadn't taken out many of the agents but Vivi knew the wielder of these powers long enough to know that that move was little more than a distraction.
"It can't be!" One of the agents yelled in dismay as he looked at the red haired figure now standing next to vivi on the roof of a building overlooking the group.
"Subaku no Gaara!" Another yelled"Arabasta's strongest warrior!"
"Gaara!" Vivi yelled happily as she gave her adoptive brother a long overdue hug.
"Vivi-sama. It has been a while." Gaara said returning the hug hesitantly, even as his sand moved to intercept a hail of bullets from the agents below. "you had us worried." He sounded relieved.
"What of my father?" Vivi asked anxiously as she broke from the hug.
"He is well. We both read your letter." Gaara answered.
"Then Carue made it to alabarna safely?" Vivi asked getting a slight nod from Gaara. "I'm glad."
"Thanks to your and Carue's efforts we now know our enemy." gaara said turning to fully face the agents that were still gathered down below. "I will not be long." Gaara said simply as he walked to the edge of the building. He continued walking as a plat form of sand formed below him. Carrying him down among the agents. "This is your only chance." Gaara said as sand started to gather from the surrounding area. "Surrender."
"w-w—w-w-what do you think you can do huh? You're just one guy, even with a devil fruit!" One of them yelled even as another spoke up against him. "Shut up! Do you want him to kill us? He's single-handedly been holding back the rebel forces for months!"
"I don't care! If we kill him think about how famous we would be!" The first argued.
"Time's up." Gaara said sounding exasperated. He raised one of his crossed arms bringing the sand up around him and the agents, obscuring them from Vivi's view for but a moment before Gaara rose from the ground. His hand clenched into a fist. "Sand coffin."
Vivi winced at the sound as the mound of sand compressed into a sphere crushing the agents unfortunate enough to have been caught within. Which incidental was all of them.
"He is rather ruthless isn't he, Princess-san?" A calm feminine voice said from right next to her. Vivi made to turn around swinging her fist at the woman, Ms. All Sunday. The fist was easily caught and twisted behind her back.
Gaara looked up at her, a worried expression on his face. "I can only assume that you are with this Baroque Works as well?" Gaara asked as his sand platform came level with the roof.
"I am." she said simply. "And you are Subaku no Gaara. The monster of the sands. And scourge of the rebel army. It's an honor to make your acquaintance... Tanuki-san." ms. All Sunday said mockingly.
"I will not ask for your name. I do not care what it is or what reputation yo might have." Gaara's stance widened slightly. "I will ask you only once to let Vivi-sama go and surrender."
"Will you kill me if I do not?" Ms. All Sunday asked innocently.
"Yes." Was the only thing gaara said as the stand off continued. Vivi watched as the two stood still across from each other. She knew that her brother would not rush into this situation recklessly, that was never how he operated.
"I suppose I should make the first move." Ms. All Sunday said with a light sigh. She pulled Vivi back and before she knew it pain bloomed in her chest as the air was knocked out of her. She fell to the ground. The force of the blow was strong. REALLY strong, Vivi did not expect the woman to pack such a punch.
"VIVI!" She heard. She watch as Gaara closed the distance between himself and Ms. All Sunday quickly. He must have thought something awful had happened to her if he was doing this.
Something happened that caused him to tumble across the roof. It looked like he had Arms locking his legs together and and forcing his arms behind his back but they did not remain after he had hit the ground.
"GAARA!" Vivi shouted in worry.
"Did it look like I impaled the princess?" Ms. All Sunday asked as a light chuckle escaped her lips.
"A devil fruit." Gaara said with narrowed eyes as he got to his feet.
"Indeed." She answered. Arms sprouted from her body as she struck a pose. "I ate the hana hana no mi. I can make any part of my body sprout from any surface. Power. Speed. Even your infamous ultimate defense means nothing to me."
Gaara made to take a step forward but ms. All Sunday formed an x shape over her chest causing new limbs to sprout forcing him into another hold.
"S-Submission..." Vivi said as she watched on in horror.
Ms. All Sunday walked up to he brother bringing her hand back to strike the final blow. "Clutch!"
A loud crunch was heard, but it sounded more like a crack and Vivi thought she just witnessed her brother's death.
And then his body exploded.
-o0O0o-
Robin found herself in an uncomfortably tight cocoon of sand. The Gaara she had incapacitated had turned out to be a clone, and a trapped clone at that, turning into the sand that now ensnared her.
Robin felt a bit of fear, given her opponent's reputation she was not likely to walk away from this unscathed, or alive. Robin squashed this fear. It wasn't as if she didn't have a contingency plan.
She turned her had to look at the princess. She was just in time to see the real Gaara emerge from the platform of sand that had still been floating above the plaza.
"Oh my. It seems I have been caught." Robin said forcing her voice to remain steady. "So? What do you plan to do with me, Tanuki-san?" Robin said, she would not beg, never. But she would stall. She was comforted slightly at the slight twitch her Tanuki comment elicited from the boy.
"You are not the common foot soldier." Gaara said simply. "You will take us to your boss."
"And if I don't know where he is?" Robin asked, trying to draw the conversation out.
"Then you would not have come for Vivi-sama." Gaara answered immediately. Robin swore quietly. It was just her luck to have Gaara as her opponent. His reputation did him no justice. He was always portrayed as a bloodthirsty monster that simply buried everything in his way. But Robin had to admit, while he was certainly ruthless he possessed a cunning that had taken her completely by surprise.
Gaara knelt down to help Vivi to her feet. "Are you alright Vivi-sama?"
Robin let a sigh of relief slip past her lips, this was what she was waiting for. She moved the arm that she had left behind on Vivi, he contingency plan.
Gaara froze, his eyes opening wide in shock before he fell to his knees. Robin felt the sand around her slacken slightly.
"GAARA!" Vivi yelled in dismay.
Robin ignored the scene, she wasn't out of the woods yet, and if she squandered this moment she had no doubt she would die. She moved her hands and activated her power as quickly as she could sprouting arms that dug a hole out of the sand and pulled her free. She did not stop at that as she sprouted more arms to put both Vivi and Gaara in submission.
The sand around them writhed as if suffering from indecision. Robin kept her arms crossed, ever at the ready to use her powers again if she needed to.
Gaara knelt on the group a growing dark stain on his already red clothing, coming from a wound in his stomach. His arms were twisted behind his back. It was fortunate that Robin had left one of her arms active on the princess, that she left a knife with it was even more fortunate.
She was glad that confrontation was finally over.
"Come now, Princess-san, your friends are waiting for you."
-o0O0o-
Robin watch the cage, even as she walked away
Monkey D. Luffy. And all his expressions. Anger. Determination. Encouragement. All for Vivi and her plight. Why? Why was he doing this for her? What did he expect in return? Was it because she was a princess? For money? Power? Love? People always expected something in return.
Robin could perhaps believe those things but even still, the righteous fury that poured off of him, felt in the very air, what reason did he have to be angry on Vivi's behalf?
No one had ever displayed such emotion for her.
No, all she ever received from anyone was cold indifference as they stabbed her in the back. Looks of fear and greed... and lust. Robin shivered.
Robin felt envy. And she could understand why she felt this way. Vivi had everything she never did. And was still being given these things. Even as her world crumbled around her she still had people who stood by and supported her.
How was it that even given Vivi's situation Robin wanted nothing more than to trade places with her. It defied logic.
Robin squashed these feelings. They would do her no good now.
For now she had a role to play.
She was only glad that the small girl that traveled with the straw hats was not present in the cage. It would have made what she was doing almost unbearable.
Robin turned away full to follow after crocodile. As much as she detested the man he was necessary for her to reach her goal.
"Vivi!" Luffy's voice called from behind. "Get us out of here."
Robin's stepped stalled for a spit second. Such a declaration was unexpected from the young captain. He did not strike her as the cowardly type at all.
"Oh? Finally begging are you, Strawhat? Its only natural. Everyone fears death." Crocodile said, it was just like him to ad his two cents to everything, having to take every opportunity to belittle and degrade.
"If we die here, there would be no one to kick your ass!" Luffy yelled at Crocodile. A smile came to robins face, albeit a light one.
Crocodile turned to regard the boy. "don't flatter yourself." Crocodile said simply before snapping his fingers. A trap door opened and a giant banana-gator crawled forth.
"I had given you the chance to run Princess. But if you feel like staying than feel free. The gators will keep you company." Crocodile said before turning away and continuing down the corridor. Robin followed close behind.
The sound of struggle and destruction could be heard from behind for but a few seconds before it quieted down entirely. Strangely enough the sounds of relief came from behind them. Robin turned to see what had happened but was stopped by the ringing of her den den mushi.
Robin dug the creature out of her coat. "Hello who is this?"
"Hello? Hello hello?" A voice sounded from the other side.
"Yes, hello. This is a millions am I correct?" Robin asked wondering why they would be calling her, perhaps they had captured the crews pet or perhaps the young girl Apis?
"Oi is this thing even on? I've never used a baby den den mushi before." the voice said.
"Yeah its on, just speak into it." another voice said.
"Who is this?" Crocodile asked apparently getting impatient, again.
"Oh, I know that voice." The snail said. Robin immediately crossed off most everyone in baroque works off the list, they would have no cause to interact with Crocodile.
"Have we spoke before?" Crocodile asked, sounding curious, though his voice was starting to lean more towards irritated.
"Ahem... Hello you've reached the shitty restaurant, would you like to make a reservation." The snail said. Robin fought her smile down, whoever was on the other side had a sense of humor.
"Who the hell are you?" Crocodile asked sounding irate.
"I am... Mr. Prince." the snail answered.
"I see. Mr. Prince. Where are you?" Crocodile asked.
"Afraid I can't say. If I told you you would only come to rid of me." Mr. Prince said matter-of-factly. "Well, setting aside whether you can get rid of me. I am not so stupid as to give up information so easily. Unlike you, mr. Zero."
Robin smiled at the cheering coming from behind her. The straw hats obviously knew this person. And Robin would guess that this would be the blond man she had seen on the ship when she had visited. She had never bothered to learn his name. She didn't plan on telling crocodile. His look of confused rage was too entertaining.
-o0O0o-
Smoker sighed as he watched the straw hats leave. He had told his men to assemble and to call in reinforcements. The events that were about to transpire in this country were potentially catastrophic and most definitely a breach of crocodile's agreement with the world government.
Smoker took a deep drag of his cigars before exhaling a plume of smoke. "Kakashi." Smoker said turning to look at the one eyed captain.
Kakashi walked up to stand beside Smoker, for once not appearing so lazy. "I heard your order for reinforcements. This doesn't have anything to do with the attack at nanohana would it?"
Smoker nodded. "We need to get all available forces to Alabarna by tomorrow. Crocodile plans to destroy the country." Smoker said, not at all beating about the bush.
Kakashi gave him his full attention. "Tell me everything."
-o0O0o-
Luffy looked down at the HUGE crab. It looked delicious, he could imagine all the meat he would be able to get from it.
It was currently carrying them away from rain base so he supposed he couldn't eat it. He would have liked to try anyway.
Apis and chopper had brought the big guy, who was apparently Lashes friend and unsurprisingly, also a pervert.
Apis was currently kicking at one of the crab's eye stalks, with little effect. "Pervy crab. Stop looking at Nami-onee-san like that. No! Bad! I do not need that image..." And so on. Whatever the crab was thinking, Apis really didn't like it.
The group laughed as they made their way quickly across the desert.
Luffy caught something moving very quickly towards them, more specifically, towards Vivi.
Luffy jumped forward puling Vivi out of the way before grabbing the large hook, the one that was unmistakably Crocodile's. Luffy let it pull him from the crab.
"OI STOP THE CRAB!" Zoro shouted.
"NO!" Luffy shouted back. "KEEP GOING!" They looked at him confused and worried. The crab came to a stop. "I'LL TAKE CARE OF CROCODILE!" Luffy assured them.
"Are you nuts!?" Nami yelled after him.
"Don't worry about me! Just go!" he shouted back as he landed at crocodiles feet with a heavy thud.
He saw Zoro clench his fist around his sword before giving the order. The straw hats went on ahead without their captain.
"We Will wait for you in Alabarna!" Vivi called out to him.
A smile was brought to Luffy's lips by Vivi's promise. He was glad he had her as his nakama, otherwise she would never have survived.
Luffy grinned as he picked himself off the ground and puled his Gunbai from his back. Before him stood Crocodile. And the lady he wanted to join his crew. But it was crocodile he was worried about at the moment.
Crocodile was his opponent.
Luffy's first real fight with a shichibukai.
He was excited.
"She tries to help everyone she meets, no matter how weak she might be." Luffy gave an experimental swing of his war-fan, his light swing kicking up a small could of dust that drifted away on the breeze. "She doesn't want to abandon anything, it would destroy her." Luffy said. "That's why she thinks no one has to die in this revolt."
"No one has to die? Ridiculous. A naive view held by a naive girl. Her view is one only those that have never experienced a real fight could have." Crocodile said, smirking around his cigar. "Don't you think?"
"Yeah." Luffy said. "But as long as you are around she will keep trying to save everyone until she dies." Luffy's stance widened as he drew himself to his full height, which was admittedly not very tall. "Which is why I am going to kill you right here!" Luffy shouted.
"You are the perfect example of an unsalvageable fool, she got close to you and now you are going to die for her. I have gotten rid of countless fools like that." Crocodile said. Laughing at Luffy's proclamation.
"Doesn't that make you the fool?" Luffy asked. Letting his previously angry face burst into a full challenging grin. He was pleased to see crocodile get so angry that he bit though his cigar. He was even more pleased when his comment elicited a laugh from Ms. All Sunday. His grin stretched wider, almost becoming a smile.
"what do you find so funny, Nico Robin?" Crocodile asked throwing her a threatening look.
Nico robin.
"So you're name is Robin, huh?" Luffy smiled outright. He could already imagine Sanji doing his "love dance" while saying something like "~Robin-Chwan!~" or something. He could imagine Nami complaining to another female member and Apis calling her "Robin-Oneesan". Luffy laughed, interrupting whatever Robin was going to say in response. "I like you're name." Luffy said honestly.
Robin looked at Luffy in surprise and some other emotion Luffy couldn't really identify, suspicion? That was an odd look to give someone that just gave her a compliment, Enemies didn't compliment each other. Maybe she would trust her if he gave her some meat, enemies didn't give each other meat either.
"I am glad you like it darling." Robin said to Luffy. "But I would appreciate it if you didn't call me that."
Luffy pouted. "Awe, but your name is SO cool." Luffy said. Cool was definitely the right word to describe anything about Robin.
Crocodile was fuming by this point. "You are wasting my time. Stop flirting with my agent, strawhat."
Robin hid her mouth behind her hand as she laughed lightly. Crocodile gave her another even more furious look then he had previously. "Do you want to die as well, Nico Robin?"
Robin simply turned away with a smile. "If you feel like it, feel free. Besides that, didn't you promise not to use my name?" Robin asked. Luffy nearly had stars in his eyes. SOOOOO COOOOL. He kept his thoughts to himself though. The situation was getting serious again.
"Where are you going?" Crocodile asked.
"I'll be going ahead to Alabarna." Robin said as she waved over her shoulder. Luffy pouted again. He was hoping she would stay to watch the fight, but at least she wasn't going to join in herself.
Crocodile muttered to himself as he threw something to the ground, Luffy didn't bother looking to see what it was. He wouldn't take his eyes off crocodile. "I'll give you three minutes. That's all I am willing to waste on you." Crocodile said lifting his hook hand up. "Is that alright with you?"
Luffy let his eyes shift to the sharingan for the fist time in more than a week, He felt relief like he had just slipped out of his shoes after a day of walking. It felt natural. "That's fine." Luffy said before disappearing with his stealth foot. His gunbai came swinging towards Crocodile edge first. It passed right through his body, just like when he fought with Smoky. That wasn't good.
Luffy saw the hook coming far before it would have been a danger to him and easily dodged, leaning back and letting it pass over him. Luffy twisted bringing the gunbai up broadside first, it was the only thing that worked against smoker. The fan made contact and blew Ctrocodile into a cloud of sand.
With his sharingan Luffy saw the sand move to gather behind him. Pivoting he brought the gunbai around to strike his opponent. Crocodile was once again blown away only to reform some distance in front of Luffy.
"Do you get it now strawhat? Even with your special eyes you are no match against me. No matter how-" Crocodile was cut off when Luffy closed the distance between them in an instant bringing his gunbai up into crocodiles chest.
"Great Wave!" Luffy shouted. He watched crocodiles eyes widen before he was once again blown away. This time when crocodile reformed he didn't look nearly as smug and only slightly more winded than he had previously. He was gripping his chest but he looked a lot more angry than hurt.
"What is this? Haki? No. This isn't haki. Fishman Karate." Crocodile said looking up at Luffy. "You think you can defeat me with that trick? It is nothing compared to Jimbei. You have no chance."
"Shut up and fight!" Luffy yelled charging Crocodile once again.
"As you wish." Crocodile raised his arm. "Desert Spada!" Crocodile called as he brought his arm down once more.
Luffy trusted his instincts as he leaped out of the way. It was a very good thing that he did as well as whatever attack Crocodile had just thrown left a fissure in the sands.
Luffy didn't give himself any time to marvel at the power of the attack as he once again closed in on Crocodile bringing his gunbai around to strike. The blow landed once again. It seemed that the fish thing worked on crocodile so if he kept doing that he should be able to win. And the best way would be to stay up close and continue to rain blows on Crocodile.
Luffy continued to do just that. Raining down blows from kicks and punches as well as his gunbai. Crocodile wasn't pulling any punches either as he no longer just attacked with his hook, now using his hand to attempt to cut Luffy in half or trying to encase his hands in sand whenever he landed a blow.
Luffy's sharingan allowed him to keep just out of reach but Crocodile was getting faster and his attacks grew a little closer every time. For Luffy's part he could tell that he wouldn't be able to take crocodile down just by hitting him a lot, crocodile was panting and had a small bit of blood showing from his nose and mouth. He wasn't really all that hurt and it would only take one hit from Crocodile to end Luffy outright. So he decided that he would have to hit him harder. For every blow Luffy landed he tried to make it more powerful and it appeared to be working, his blows were improving, if at a snail's pace but if he could get his blows to hit hard enough than he could end the fight.
Luffy just needed crocodile to keep missing, just one blow and Luffy would be finished. Luffy wondered if he could get his eyes to hypnotize Crocodile like he did with the black cat pirates. Luffy tried to get crocodile to fall asleep but all it accomplished was making his eyes droop a little more, though his movements did slow down. It was unfortunate that crocodile was able to snap himself out of it so quickly. Luff was once again close to being bisected by the enraged shichibukai. Making Crocodile sleepy wasn't the right course of action.
Luffy prepared to try something else. It was unfortunate that he didn't get his chance.
Luffy looked down at the hook that impaled him.
"You never had a chance from the start, strawhat." Crocodile said as he lifted Luffy off the ground. Water dripped to the ground along with Luffy's blood. Crocodile had pierced the water barrel around Luffy's neck.
Luffy reached out and gripped crocodiles wrist. For the first time Luffy actually touched crocodile. He tightened his grip on the arm and still he did not disappear into sand.
Next time he fought Crcodile he was going to kill him.
Crocodile threw Luffy to the ground and walked away as the desert started to eat the struggling Luffy. No Luffy was sinking. He would die buried in the sand.
The sun finally set on their battle, they had fought for almost twenty minutes.
Luffy wasn't satisfied. He was going to get out of this and then he was going to kick crocodile's ass.
-o0O0o-
Luffy's vision swam as he lay on the ground. He was confused as last he remembered he had been sinking into the sand.
He looked up at the blurry form of his savior. "T-Thank...you." Luffy gasped out.
"Why do you fight?" Robin's cool voice drifted to him. "Those of you who carry the name D?"
"D...?" Luffy asked wincing at the pain in his chest.
"I suppose it was a pointless question." Robin said. Luffy felt a familiar weight land on his chest, his straw hat. Robin had retrieved it for him.
"I finally found you." A voice droned from the side. Through Luffy's swimming vision he saw a red Tanuki, he vaguely recognized it but couldn't place where. "Where is Vivi-sama?" The tanuki asked.
Luffy's vision was still blurry so he reactivated his sharingan to get a better look at the situation. A boy Luffy's age stood across from Robin a large gourd on his back and tendrils of sand hanging in the air around him. Robin stood looking as cool and collected as she had ever appeared but with his sharingan he saw the tension in her legs, she recognized the Tanuki-guy as a threat.
"Ah. What good timing. You can save this boy." Robin said walking away towards a lean looking alligator. "Your princess vivi is safe. She is on her way to alabarna."
"Where do you think you are going?" The Tanuki-guy asked, lifting his arm and sending a tendril of sand after Robin. Robin turned crossing her arms to activate her power. Confrontation was eminent. Luffy reached out with his hand he couldn't let them fight each other.
Everything was still. The boy's sand had stopped in the air seeming to be trying to do two things at once.
"S-stop..." Luffy gasped out to the Tanuki-guy. "She-she... saved my... life."
The Tanuki-guy looked down at him. He seemed to be drawn to Luffy's eyes but at this point Luffy was used to this sort of reaction.
"This boy is the brave knight that brought your princess Vivi back to this country. The least you can do to repay him is save his life." Robin said with a smile as she climbed onto the gator's back. "Good bye, Darlings." and then the gator sped off.
Luffy felt like pouting.
He mustered his strength to pull himself to the Tanuki guy, dragging his body across the sand to grab on to the boy's leg. The boy just looked down at him with a slightly surprised expression.
Luffy looked up taking a large breath and demanded...
"MEAT!"
-o0O0o-
Gaara looked down at the boy that now gripped his arm. The boy that had been able to stop his sand. In all truth they were about the same age and his eyes, the color of blood, made him a far more sinister figure. No, the person now gripping his wrist was anything but a boy.
"Meat!" The man demanded. Nico Robin had said that it was this person that brought Vivi back to Arabasta.
"You are injured." Gaara answered back. "What you need is a doctor."
Gaara made to turn around to retrieve such a person from Rain Base but the grip on his wrist tightened. He stopped to look down at the figure. Despite the severity of his injury he did not have the face of an injured man, or a desperate man, or even a man in pain. He looked determined, and angry.
"Vivi has sacrificed so much for her country, I can't let it be for nothing." The boy said. "Just get me Meat, I'll be good to go."
Gaara continued to look down at the figure, his face impassive.
"Meat does not heal one's injuries." Gaara pointed out.
"I don't care! I only need some meat!" The boy argued again.
Gaara sighed. "Very well. I will retrieve the meat, if you would allow me to take you into town."
"Thank you." The boy said allowing Gaara's sand to lift him from the ground.
Gaara wasted no time walking, instead creating a platform of sand to fly him into town. Time was of the essence and he could not risk any more than necessary.
Gaara brought them down, in front of a hospital. The boy's face scrunched up in distaste. "You lied." He accused Gaara.
"I do not remember saying I wouldn't take you to a hospital. If you behave I will be back with the meat." Gaara reasoned, he crossed his arms as he initiated a staring contest with the adamant boy.
The boy crossed his arms. "No." He refused outright staring back.
"We both require medical attention, you more than I, if nothing is done we will never make it to Arabarna" Gaara explained, hoping he wouldn't have to attempt to subdue the boy.
The boy looked away pouting. "Just make sure its a LOT of meat." the boy conceded. "You're so bossy, Racoon-guy." Gaara couldn't help but label the boy a hypocrite at that comment.
"My name is Gaara." Gaara said as he finally released the boy.
"I'm Luffy, and I am going to be king of the Pirates!" Luffy exclaimed proudly.
Gaara was unsure as to why, but for some reason he believed Luffy.
-o0O0o-
Apis stood panting, frying-pan in hand, over the unconscious body of Lassoo, the dog that was also a gun. Apis usually liked dogs but this one was loyal at best and dim at worst. From what little Apis could pick up from it, the dog had one thing it was good at and it did that thing with pride. That thing being firing explosive baseballs every time it sneezed. Well, he wouldn't be doing that anymore.
Apis looked up over towards the dog's partners, mr 4 and ms Merry Christmas. They lay unmoving among the rubble of the nearby ruins. She was glad they were down, although they had nothing on the sleaziness of the mercenary that came after her when she still lived on gunkan island they were certainly unpleasant people. She looked over to her friends, They had been hurt badly. Apis felt that their injuries were her fault, they had incurred many of them while trying to protect her. Apis bit down on her lip in frustration, she had been useless, hardly even able to match up against a single dog.
Apis shook her head, she would not pity herself, her Nakama needed her.
Apis ran over to Chopper, who was screaming for a doctor. Even though he was one.
-o0O0o-
Zoro panted as he fell to his knees. He had done it, at long last he succeeded in cutting steel. It was a mile stone for him. A significant step towards defeating Mihawk.
He groaned as he staggered to his feet. He would not let his injuries get the better of him, as severe as they looked they weren't all that deep nor numerous, his recent learning of the stealth foot technique had allowed him to avoid the worst of the blows. Most people would disagree with him and probably insist he see a doctor.
"Very impressive, Roanoa." A gravely voice came from behind.
Zoro turned to face the new arrival, drawing the Wado Ichimonji as he did. "That was nothing. Come over here and lets see if I can't cut that overgrown piece of metal down to size, Zabuza." Zoro challenged as he came face to case with the Demon of the Mist.
Zabuza pulled his blade from his back. "You're letting your accomplishment go to your head brat. You weren't able to defeat me on Little Garden, what makes you think you will have any more luck now that the circumstances are reversed?"
Zoro smirked. "Injured or uninjured, it makes no difference, I'll kill you."
"Never one to back down are you?" Zabuza chuckled drawing the blade from his back. "Your blood-lust is contagious Roanoa. Very well, If you want to die who am I to deny you."
Zabuza disappeared, Zoro knew he was coming and he knew that his opponent never attacked head on. Zoro readied himself in the brief moments he had before Zabuza reached him.
The loud clash of steel was heard as Zabuza's blade was halted. Zoro and Zabuza stared with narrowed eyes.
"Kakashi." Zabuza growled.
Zoro looked at the newcomer. One visible eye and gravity defying silver hair. He had stopped Zabuza's blade with a pair of small knives.
"Oi, Cyclopse. Your in the way." Zoro said pointing his katana at the stranger.
"You are losing sight of your objective. You cannot be so easily distracted with so much at stake." Kakashi admonished. "Go." and with that Kakashi kicked Zabuza down the road and out of sight.
Zoro huffed, but sheathed his sword all the same. He turned to the pile of rubble resigned to fight another day.
Now just to unbury his swords.
-o0O0o-
Vivi's voice had failed her, and with this final failure she had failed her people.
None could hear her plea for peace over the cacophony that was the violence below her. She had watched her childhood friend and leader of the rebellion shot, the spark that finally sent the situation spiraling back into chaos. And just when peace was withing her grasp.
Even if she did get them to stop fighting, it would not matter, Crocodile's bomb would wipe the city off the map.
She did not want to give up, she would never give up on her people. But it seemed that now, hope was well and truly lost as she plummeted to the plaza below.
She hit earth.
Vivi blinked in surprise. She had been expecting the hard cobblestones and her death to meet her descent. Instead she fell upon a cushion of sand that wrapped around her protectively.
"Gaara!" Vivi cheered as she looked up into the sky. Her brother stood upon his platform of sand arms crossed, beside him stood luffy in the same pose with a barrel of water on his back along with his Gunbai. Save for the straw hat their silhouettes looked exactly alike. "Luffy!" She called out happily.
The sand let her down softly on the ground, where she was quickly joined by Luffy and Gaara. Vivi ran over and hugged Gaara and Luffy. "My voice couldn't reach anyone..." She said through her tears.
"We heard your voice." Luffy said hugging her back. Gaara as usual stood still and stiff in the embrace before tentatively returning it.
Vivi released them as the rest of the crew arrived. Usopp was covered in bandages obviously applied by Chopper, They were yelling. "Luffy! You're alive!"
Apis looked a little banged up, she had some bandages but hardly any compared to Usopp. She stood with her arms crossed, "I told you! Luffy-Nii wouldn't get killed so easily!"
Nami and Zoro were the next to arrive. Nami immediately hit Usopp over the head with her staff. "Usopp! Do you call this a weapon! This thing is better for entertaining parties!" Nami yelled as Usopp hit the ground.
Chopper ran up to him. "AH! Usopp! Hang in there!"
"Chopper, I have a request, don't let me be buried in the wasteland." Usopp fainted dramatically causing Chopper to panic.
"Apis-Chan are you alright? I knew I shouldn't have let you come." Nami said fussing over Apis.
"Nami, I am fine. They are just little scrapes." Apis argued.
"Nami-chwan~! Vivi-chwan~! I'm so glad you're safe!" Sanji cheered as he danced his way towards the group.
"Everyone!" Vivi said finally finding her voice. "You're alright!"
"Of course we are." Usopp said with more confidence than his current condition would have suggested he have.
Her friends were alive and well. Vivi shook herself from her relieved state bringing her back to the harsh reality. "Everyone I need your help. There is a bomb aimed at the plaza, its set to go off in..." Vivi looked up at the clock tower. "12 minutes!" She exclaimed in shock and dismay. That was hardly any time at all.
"What!? Really!?" Chopper screamed Usopp collapsed again.
"You guys take care of that." Luffy said facing towards the high up figure of Crocodile. The crew saw his eyes, The Sharingan was already active, a third Tomoe had appeared in his left eye the other still only possessed two. "I'll handle Crocodile."
The crew nodded and Nami imminently took charge of the rest of the crew.
Gaara formed a hand of sand and threw Luffy up towards his opponent. It was up to him now.
-o0O0o-
The pain was far greater than it had been for any of the boy's previous hits. The straw-hat brat had quickly closed the distance between them and struck him with his Gunbai.
It had hurt. Not like the brief and dull throb that had accompanied his previous attacks. This one felt like all his insides had been twisted about. Crocodile coughed up blood.
What had changed? Had the boy perfected his Fishman karate in such a short time?
Crocodile saw another blow incoming and attempted to shift into sand. He was stopped as the Gunbai once again made contact and the pain returned as he went sailing through the air destroying a small structure in the court yard.
No. that wasn't what was happening. The boy was doing something else.
Crocodile stood up looking at the boy. He saw him squirt water onto his weapon. That explained it. Damn the brat, he must be smarter than he looks if he was able to discern his weakness.
"You can't transform if you are wet can you?" Straw-hat asked his annoying smile in place, and the red eyes of the sharingan staring at him.
Crocodile grit his teeth. "So you figured it out, huh? It doesn't matter, I will kill you here and in ten minutes everyone else will die with you."
"No one is going to die! My friends will stop your bomb. And I am going to kick your ass!" Straw-hat said. Crocodile was grinding his teeth by this point, the brat was insufferable.
The brat looked to Robin, Crocodile saw a look pass between them, The brat's annoyingly determined expression and a slight quirk of the lips from Robin. He would have to remember to kill Robin when this was over, he could not trust her to remain loyal if she was going to flirt with his enemies. "I'm taking King-san, I will be waiting in the tombs." Robin said. Crocodile couldn't tell if that was directed at him or the brat, she wasn't really looking at either of them.
"Do what you want." Crocodile said. "Do not cross me, Nico Robin." He was pleased with the threatening tone he affected. He was not pleased with the light chuckle as she led the king away. He would kill her now if he didn't still need her. He turned back to his opponent. Robin was soon out of sight. Crocodile huffed before turning back to his opponent. "now then, Straw-Hat, Where were we?" Crocodile let his had turn into a blade of sand.
"I was about to kick your ass!" Luffy said bringing his large weapon back for a swing.
Crocodile grit his teeth. "Desert Spada!" Crocodile let his blade fly.
"Typhoon!" Luffy yelled as he brought his gunbai around creating a great gust of wind, and a barrage of fast moving drops of water. The wind dispelled his blade like dust on the wind. Crocodile felt the tiny bullets of water pierce his body. He grit his teeth.
"SABLES!" Crocodile let a tornado form in his hand. "Pesado!" The projectile flew towards the brat. Crocodile was annoyed to see the kid get out of the way. It mattered not, the blast radius would get him.
The projectile exploded, blowing Luffy into the walls of the palace, the shock wave destroyed much of the ground and the stairway sending cracks spider webbing in all directions. Luffy erupted from the palace looking bloody, crocodile was pleased to note that he had evened the score. Luffy closed the distance between them quickly, bringing the warfan to bear on crocodile. "Great wave!" Crocodile was repelled back again, his feet dragging on the ground as he slowed his momentum. Crocodile looked the boy in his annoying red eyes, fuming.
Crocodile swung another Desert spada at the brat but found that his opponent was already dodging his attack. A water soaked fist collided with Crocodile's chin lifting him off the ground. He tried to get Luffy with his hook but found that the boy was once again a step ahead of him as the warfan came around to land painfully on his left side his overextended arm doing nothing to defend him. "LA SPADA!"
Four blades of sand launched themselves at the boy who used his Gunbai as a shield. The attack carried him away from crocodile however. Crocodile did not squander his advantage. Launching more blades at the barrel on Luffy's back.
Luffy twisted about bringing the gunbai around to bat the blades to the side. He soaked his weapon again and brought the gunbai around as if to launch another one of his Typhoons. Instead. "Wave Cannon!" a single cannonball sized glob of water closed the distance between Crocodile and his opponent in what seemed like an instant colliding with him with force that crocodile was sure would put most cannon's to shame.
Crocodile staggered to his feet coughing up yet more blood. Those annoying red eyes stared at him. Through the entire fight the fucker had stayed one step ahead of him. He had heard of this. The Sharingan eye's ability to predict the future, it was troubling to fight against. He should have ripped the eyes from the boys head when he had the chance.
Crocodile half transformed his body launching himself at the boy. "Desert crescent!" Luffy dodged easily bringing the gunbai around to hit crocodile. Crocodile moved himself over the weapon, safely avoiding it, Crocodile grinned at the slightly widened eyes of his opponent. He reached out to grab his opponent and turn him into a mummy.
Luffy turned on his heal, spinning around and bringing the Gunbai around to land yet another powerful blow on Crocodile.
Crocodile recovered quickly and leaped back into combat with the annoyance that was Monkey D. Luffy. Their battle carried on for only a minute before it was interrupted, and the sky lit up in a brilliant explosion.
-o0O0o-
Vivi knelt on the floor of the clock tower panting. She had done it. With the help of her friends she had been able to cut the fuse just in time.
Tic-tock
Tic-tock
Vivi got up quickly running to look into the canon.
She saw the bomb, twice as large as she was, it was massive. And it had a timer.
A tendril of sand moved passed her before wrapping around the bomb.
Vivi turned to look upon her brother in all but blood. Her older brother. Her protector since before she could remember. Her family that had willingly become a monster in the eyes of the people to hold the resistance back. Gaara.
"Gaara?" Vivi asked shakily as she saw him just standing there with the bomb, his platform of sand drifting slowly upward.
"This place brings back memories. The secret base of the Suna Suna clan, you got into more than a few fights with Coza here." Gaara smiled slightly. "It was by your father's kindness that I was taken into the Nefertari Family, and I dedicated my life protecting you for that kindness. Thank you Vivi."
Vivi stood attempting to reach out and stop her brother but it was too late, he was already out of reach and climbing ever higher.
The explosion was like a second sun that blew away the dust of the conflict below.
"GAARA!" Vivi screamed in dismay.
There was no answer.
-o0O0o-
Luffy looked up at the sky in anger. The sounds of conflict continued below them.
"What a fool. Sacrificing himself for a bunch of morons who can't stop fighting." Crocodile spoke drawing Luffy's angry gaze. "That bomb was supposed to destroy them but I guess they will have to do it themselves." Crocodile placed his hand on the ground. "You have wasted too much of my time already Strawhat. Ground Sekko!"
The grass beneath Luffy's feet dried up and turned to dust even the palm tree nearby crumbled as the once lush courtyard dried up around them. The stones cracked. The soil became hard and brittle. No life existed in the courtyard save for Luffy and Crocodile.
"Ground Death!" The ground exploded into sand as the very stones of the palace turned into cyclone of deadly sand. Luffy thought quickly using his warfan to launch himself high into the air and most importantly off the ground. He was still in the air as the dust cleared away revealing a desert where once there was a garden. And Crocodile coming towards him hand outstretched.
Luffy had been able to hold him off easily once he figured out he could tell people what to do with his eyes, well not exactly but that was as close as he could get to describing it, he wasn't able to make Crocodile fall asleep but he was able to make him attack in certain ways, and he just dodged what he already knew was coming. He needed eye contact though.
Luffy could feel the barrel on his back. It was pretty close to empty at this point. One more attack and this would have to be over.
Luffy threw the barrel towards the approaching Crocodile. Luffy sent a suggestion with his eyes for Crocodile to try and drain the barrel dry. Crocodile smirked thinking he had one as his hand came within inches of the barrel.
Luffy smashed the barrel with his Gunbai as he fell bringing the Fast moving weapon and the large volume of water crashing into Crocodile and carrying them to the ground. "STUNAMI!" Luffy shouted putting every ounce of strength into the blow and using every ounce of his control over the Fish punch technique to make this the finishing blow.
Cracks branched out in all directions breaking chunks of the palace walls off to fall into the Plaza below. Cracks even formed in the pavement in the plaza. Luffy straitened looking down at the beaten form of Crocodile. It did not look like he would be getting up anytime soon.
Rain fell upon Arabasta for the first time in a very long time. Luffy smiled as the sound of conflict began to ebb away. He would love to go down and celebrate but first he had to go meet someone.
-o0O0o-
Kakashi sat atop the palace looking down at the fight, now concluded, between Sir. Crocodile and Monkey D. Luffy. He was a good distance away but with his sharingan eye open no detail escaped him.
Kakashi enjoyed the display, feeling quite satisfied seeing Crocodile beaten. And he also had to admit that he found the fight informative if nothing else, He only very rarely got an opportunity to observe fishman karate. Although he was on friendly terms with Jimbie Kakashi did not want to insult the master of the art by copying his techniques during a spar.
Crocodile's weakness to water would also no doubt prove to be invaluable information.
But the most important thing that Kakashi was here to observe was the progress of the Sharingan. Kakashi saw that they had almost finished maturing to the complete sharingan, one of the eyes was missing a tomoe but with the challenges the boy was surmounting so soon on the grand line he doubted it would be long at all before they had fully matured. And with the dangers that the grand line presented Kakashi was sure he would be sporting the next level of sharingan before the boy even made it to the new world.
It was a worrying thought.
Not so much because it was a staggeringly fast increase of power but because Kakashi couldn't bring himself to see the boy as a threat. He reminded Kakashi too much of his pupil, forever caring for those around him. The way he acted and went to such extreme lengths for his friends brought to mind one other, a sad and happy memory of a comrade long lost.
Those that break the rules are trash, those that abandon their friend are worse than trash. A lesson Kakashi held close to his heart.
So Kakashi would not confront the boy. Not unless he Luffy did something stupid like break into Impel down or attack Marineford.
The odds of that ever happening were slim.
-o0O0o-
Robin stood before the poneglyph, reworking the cipher for what felt like the thousandth time. The ancient weapon Pluton, a warship said to have been able to wipe entire islands off the map. That was certainly impressive but nothing she was interested in. Even the location of the weapon was written here.
"Have you satisfied you're curiosity?" King Cobra asked from where he knelt, restrained, by the door.
No.
For all that the Poneglyph spoke of the weapon and the tales of its ingenuity and power it did not once mention why the weapon was built. Not a single peep about the events in the world that necessitated the creation of the weapon. Nothing about who had built it or who had commissioned its creation, or who it had even been used against. As invaluable as the information that was on the poniglyph was it was not the information that Robin needed to find.
So, No. Her curiosity was not satisfied.
"Aren't there any others?" Robin asked turning to the king. "Is this the only poliglyph?"
"Sorry to disappoint you, this is the only one I know of." King Cobra answered back.
"Hey, hey, Robin? What's a Pluton? And what's a Juubi?"
Robin blinked. Turning to see who had spoken she was surprised to see Luffy crouched in front of the Ponyglyph staring intently. She hadn't expected the boy to win. She knew Luffy possessed the Sharingan, a powerful weapon in itself but he had lost once before, Robin was not foolish enough to believe that those eyes made Luffy invincible and Crocodile was powerful to say the least and definitely not someone to be underestimated.
Wait...
"Boy, You know how to read the Poniglyph?" Cobra asked the young Captain.
"Poni-What? I don't know what that is. I was just reading this thing." Luffy said gesturing to the large stone.
Perhaps the sharingan allowed him to decipher the ancient writing. Robin looked down at Luffy, if that was the case... "Pluton is an ancient weapon, A warship. Said to be the most powerful ever created. Luffy, what is a Juubi?"
"That's what I was asking you. It says it right here" Luffy pointed at a seemingly mundane word on the stone. Robin would have been skeptical if it wasn't for his eyes. Darting every which way across the poniglyph at speeds she knew were not possible. So the eyes really did allow him to read the cipher, but apparently it wasn't something the boy was in control of, and it gave him a deeper understanding than she had. Perhaps whoever invented the cipher possessed the Sharingan.
"What does it say about this 'Juubi'?" Robin asked. She had never heard the word before.
"No." Luffy said crossing his arms.
"No?" Robin asked. She was offended and panicked. She was so close and this boy just refused to tell her something so simple.
"I Hate reading." Luffy pouted.
Robin felt a small bit of relief that he was not refusing because of something she had done. She huffed softly. "If you tell me I will give you a present."
"Will you join my crew!?" Luffy asked suddenly standing before her, holding her hands in his, a broad smile plastered across his face and stars in his eyes. Luffy spoke again before Robin could answer. "Right! It's decided! You will join my crew!"
Robin giggled lightly, her humor fueled by the bewildered look Cobra was giving them. "You need to tell me about the Juubi first." Robin reminded.
"Awe... Ok." Luffy looked back at the Poniglyph. "It says the Juubi was a monster a primea-primor-primod-" Luffy seemed to be having trouble with the words. "It was a mystery creature." Luffy declared finally. Robin sighed but smiled lightly. "The warship Pluto was made to stop it and then was hidden when it was defeated by the Sage of six paths." Luffy finished. He seemed to alternate between reading words carefully and just spouting off what he thought some of the sentences were trying to say. Robin supposed it was good enough.
Robin stood in silence as she pondered the new information. She now Knew of one of the most important factors in the void century. The juubi some sort of primordial being that was dangerous enough to warrant the creation of a supper weapon. And then this mysterious Sage. There was a great deal more that was needed to fill in the blanks but she at least now had a place to start. More information than she had ever possessed about that time.
Robin was broken out of her thoughts by a hug. A very tight hug. She tensed readying her power to defend herself but stopped. "YAY! Robin's going to join my crew!" Luffy laughed looking up with the smile that Robin was starting to enjoy seeing on the captain. Robin smiled back.
Luffy let Robin go as he swayed dangerously. Robin found the roles reversed as she caught the hyperactive Captain in her arms. He must have been fatigued.
Robin smiled down at him. She looked forward to seeing him again.
-o0O0o-
The sound of footsteps echoed through the now empty tomb as a lone figure walked towards the Poneglyph.
A black cloak with red clouds covered his frame and an orange mask adorned his face.
He stood before the stone for a long time before vanishing as if he had never been.
-END-
there we have it. this one required a lot more editing. tying a bunch of chapters together and making sure that it still flowed correctly. also had to correct a lot of spelling mistakes and typos. I am not even going to pretend I got them all.
a few of the segments end kinda abruptly I have to admit but I also feel like writing anything else on the end of those would be stretching them too far without having anything important happen.